a good wood burner is worth every penny when the power goes out or just to save on the heating bill.

No gas out here in the forest. Neighborhood is all electric. Works fine…most of the time. Area suffered two weeks without power about ten years ago due to massive ice storm. Two choices for backup heat…propane or wood. Propane is more expensive by a significant margin…but it is far more convenient.

I grew up with one, parents put one in when they enclosed the carport to make a den(no HVAC). It would heat the heck out of that space. Not difficult to clean or anything but we did have to cut wood a lot.

Look at Pacific Energy and Empire. Let me know if you have any questions

Used one for 18 years. Hardly use central heat.
In fact, never turned central heat on during that ice storm.
As mentioned, little messy always bringing in wood, cleaning our ashes.
One time I was burning some good red oak. Fire died out and I didn’t use again for 3 full days.
Went to get the ashes out and there were still embers!!!
Red oak is the $hit

Not to steal from the thread, but do you have to leave a window cracked or something to get fresh air in, like you would a fire place?

No sir I never have. Just keep water on top of it so air isn’t too dry. That being said, I have damped it down a little too much and smoked the kids out. But that was user error.

depends on the size of the space and how airtight it is, wood stove takes a lot of oxygen out of the area. Best to leave a window cracked for safety.

An "airtight" modern stove will heat the best and burn less wood, and most will have a thermostatic coil operating an air vent to control the temperature.

A lower price stove will probably be thinner and made of less quality metal... these can glow red in a really hot fire and could crack. The more expensive stoves, like Vermont Castings, can handle very high heats without a problem. VC are cast from recycling brake drums and rotors. When I bought mine 30 years ago I was told they used old engine blocks...

Grew up with them and they do well. Have one in my sauna I built and does great. Have one in my shop. Who doesn’t love a fire? Very reliable if you do your part and cut and have the wood ready when power goes out.

Issues, any where there is fire, there will be smoke. Where there is smoke, there will be smoke smell. The best set up will have varying degrees. I don’t have one in house for that reason. In house have propane logs. Best of both worlds.

Heated 2-storey 3,000' house with Ashley 'box' stove for years, decades, with 2 heat-powered fans and a water bowl on top. Upstairs was so hot it was unlivable, downstairs hot enough only needed underwear to parade around house.

That's kinda my go-to anyway!

A Quadra Fire Stove is the only way to go. We heated our old house with it for ten years before we up and moved. Very efficient and you can cook on it as well. It will run you out of the house if you're not careful, we had to open the doors and windows a couple of times.

I put one in our puny 1200 sq ft house several years. Wife did most of the hearth out of slate and I did the pipes up throgh the roof. It saved us during the Artic Blast as the electricity was off for 3 days. Mesquite and oak keep it warm but it requires some attention at night. At least once and I only use split firewood. Old Cowboy coffee pot perks good on the stove.

Mine looks like Smurfs! Great on miserable winter nights.